Crucial contribution of the universities to SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Ecuador: Lessons for developing countries

COVID-19 pandemic has challenged public health systems worldwide, particularly affecting developing countries in Latin America like Ecuador. In this report, we exposed the fundamental role of the Ecuadorian universities to improve COVID-19 surveillance in the country, with an overall contribution over 15% of the total SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests done. We highlight the role of our university during the first semester of the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to a massive free SARS-CoV-2 testing up to almost 10% of the total diagnosis completed in the country, mainly focus on underserved urban, rural and indigenous communities. Finally, we described our contribution to a high quality and low-cost SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR diagnostic in Ecuador.

Analytical and clinical evaluation of a heat shock SARS-CoV-2 detection method without RNA extraction for N and E genes RT-qPCR

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant supply shortages worldwide for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis, like RNA extraction kits.

Objective

The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical performance and analytical sensitivity of a simple SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis protocol based on heat shock without RNA extraction using both "CDC" (N gene) and "Charite" (E gene) RT-qPCR protocols.

Results

1,036 nasopharyngeal samples, 543 of them SARS-CoV-2 positive, were analyzed. The heat shock method correctly identified 68.8% (232/337) and 89.4% (202/226) of SARS-CoV-2 positive samples for N gene and E gene, respectively. Analytical sensitivity was assessed for heat shock method using the CDC RT-qPCR protocol, obtaining sensitivity values of 98.6%, 93.3% and 84.8% for limit of detection of 100.000, 50.000 and 20.000 viral RNA copies/mL of sample.

Conclusions

Our findings show that a simple heat shock SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR diagnosis method without RNA extraction is a reliable alternative for potentially infectious SARS-CoV-2 positive patients at the time of testing. This affordable protocol can help overcome the cost and supply shortages for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, especially in developing countries. In Ecuador, it has been used already by laboratories in the public health system for more than 100.000 specimens.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage among guinea pigs raised as livestock in Ecuador

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem in human and veterinary medicine. Here we show that 6.25% of the guinea pigs studied in Ecuador, raised as livestock, carry methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the nasopharynx and therefore may potentially play a role in the transmission of MRSA in the Andean Region of South America.

Effect of carbon content on the resistance to localized corrosion of as-cast cobalt-based alloys in an aqueous chloride solution

The effect of carbon content on the resistance to localized corrosion of ASTM-F75, as-cast cobalt-based alloys, was studied using potentiostatic polarization tests in Ringer's solution. Critical pitting potentials were estimated from the potentiostatic polarization curves and were found to increase with decreasing carbon content. The highest resistance to pitting corrosion observed at low C contents was attributed to a greater chemical and microstructural homogeneity in the as-cast condition. The results of the investigation led to the conclusion that the use of low C content ASTM-F75 as-cast alloys in the manufacture of orthopedic implants may result in a lower release rate of corrosion products which should improve the "in vivo" performance of the implants.